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by DarkMousyRulezAll
Summary: Oneshot. After being away on vacation for six weeks, our young warlock returns home...to Camelot. K for super fluffiness! Please R&R!


**So, why is DMRA writing more Merlin instead of Avenger'd? The world may never know! **

**But in all honesty, this was a planned tribute I was meaning to pay for a while and today is that day! My friend, Spiritus Rex, and I have a very addicting habit of roleplaying as Merlin and Arthur respectively, and it often invades our day-to-day conversations. For the past more-than-a-month, she has been at a pre-college art camp, full residence, and as I've missed her, so has Arthur missed Merlin, away on vacation to a distant kingdom. Today she's back, so in order to celebrate that, Merlin returns home to Camelot. **

**I make reference to some things we've talked about in our conversations, like a speech Arthur was supposed to give and he had to write it himself. Stuff like that but nothing too out there teehee~**

**In our conversations we tend to skip around the seasons a bit but since we mentioned George a lot, we're at least in Season 4 heheh. So yeah. That's about it. Just a short little piece of fluff. Just the usual dorky duo, because honestly Colin and Bradley are pretty much total dorks. and so are Arthur and Merlin.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Merlin nope. **

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_**Home**_

A gorgeous sunrise peaked over the kingdom of Camelot, sending its warm, golden-hued fingers across the land. Everyone in the castle and in the upper and lower towns was asleep, or just stirring to the new light. Everyone was still touched with slumber, everyone except King Arthur Pendragon. He was wide awake, having shed off the cocoon many hours prior, being unable to rest a wink. The King of Camelot stared out of his window to the kingdom below.

"Today is the day," he whispered to himself. "Today is the day that Merlin comes home."

_**~MERLIN~**_

A young, raven-haired warlock walked as he had many years before along a worn dirt path that crossed over hills and streams and forests. He smiled reverently at the sky and the people he passed by. He had certainly grown much since then, but to be walking along the road towards Camelot again made everything feel like he had just left Ealdor to find a new life with Gaius, not leaving a distant land to return to his long-now home of Camelot.

Merlin chuckled to himself. How he couldn't wait to get home! Sure, he liked the change of scenery, and the absence of his usual daily chores, and the lax of "destiny this, Merlin" and "destiny that, Merlin," and overall the fear and pressure of his secret. Actually he liked the change a lot! The warlock stopped a moment, and a gust of wind blew his hair and his clothes around. But as he exchanged letters with Gwen, Gaius, and Arthur _(yes, even Arthur!) _he realized how much he missed them, despite everything he enjoyed on his break. And with the nature of his and Arthur's latest exchange, he felt that things would soon look up for the future of Albion. Merlin started up again, and just like he had on that first day, he smiled at the sight of the enormous castle, the symbolic crown of Camelot.

As he entered the lower town, he said greetings to many passing people, joy and giddy anxiety bubbling through him. All of a sudden, he was promptly tackled to the ground by a flurry of lavender and ivory fabric.

"MERLIN! You're back!" the female flurry exclaimed, death-hugging the warlock till he couldn't breathe, causing Merlin to give a strained chuckle as he hugged back.

"It's good to see you too, Gwen," he choked out. Guinevere pulled back and gave her friend a warm smile.

"Welcome home, you," she nudged Merlin's arm, and Merlin couldn't help but laugh.

"I'm glad to be back! I've missed you all."

"We've missed you too, Merlin. Camelot just isn't the same without you," Gwen winked as she accompanied the young warlock down the road. "You'll have to tell me everything about your trip when you get settled back in!"

As the duo passed by The Rising Sun, Merlin was tackled by yet another flurry, this time of red cape and silver chainmail.

"Well, well, well, look what we've got here!" a hearty male voice belted with humor. A large gloved hand ruffled Merlin's already unruly obsidian hair. "I think I caught a runaway manservant!" Gwen giggled and Merlin pulled away with a wide smirk.

"Hello to you too Gwaine," Merlin replied, brushing off his clothes. The knight grinned toothily.

"So, did you fight off any monsters or go on any epic quests without me?" Gwaine inquired with a mock pout. Merlin raised an eyebrow and laughed.

"Actually, I did," Merlin confessed to Gwaine's non-mock disdain. "I still have the battle scars to prove it!" Gwen and Gwaine both were interested at this as Merlin revealed the scars on his hands and knees that were still a bit red. The knight let out a huff of mock, and slight genuine, disappointment.

"The least you could've done was to invite me to join you!" Gwaine muttered tersely under his breath. Merlin laughed and patted Gwaine on the back.

"Next time, old friend," the warlock assured. The trio continued walking down the road, approaching the upper town. "So," Merlin began a new topic. "I heard Arthur got a really awful replacement servant."

Gwen chuckled nervously and Gwaine let out a low whistle.

"That, my friend, is an understatement," the knight replied with a belt of laughter. "Princess was in quite a rut without his usual manservant." Merlin laughed.

"Oh really?" Merlin raised his eyebrow, and smiled lopsidedly. Gwaine nodded seriously, though the wide grin betrayed his façade.

"Oh yes. As it happens, that bootlicker who's really good at cleaning armor, George, got super sick, so Princess had to replace _him _and the only person left available was- heheh absolutely awful," Gwaine explained quickly. Merlin nodded- Arthur had told him in his last letter. According to the insistent king, the replacement couldn't even sharpen weapons properly. The warlock chuckled to remember it. "Last night, he dismissed the lad! Couldn't stand him even for another morning."

"So let me guess, he's gonna have my head as soon as I get there?" Merlin smiled grimly. Both of his companions glanced at Merlin with an odd twinkle in their eyes.

"You'll see," they both chorused. Merlin gave them an odd look of confusion in reply, but both of them said not a word else each about the subject.

_**~MERLIN~**_

"Sire! How long have you been standing there?"

"Oh, for a while."

"Have you eaten anything yet, it's well past noon?"

"No, I'm not hungry, Gaius."

"You obviously are, you can barely stand, I'm fairly certain you can get something to eat in the dining hall-"

"I'm waiting, Gaius. I won't leave. Not yet."

"…I see. At least let me get something for you. It won't do well for the King to be sick."

"Thank you Gaius."

_**~MERLIN~**_

Merlin, Gwen, Gwaine, and now the rest of the knights, walked in a tight group into the castle. Elyan and Percival both carried on with Merlin, sorely missing the warlock when he was away. Merlin turned around, walking backwards, laughing at the knights who tried to make moves towards him in the hall, to Gwen's amusement.

"Watch where you're going Merlin!" she scolded gently, knowing perfectly well that the knights would tease him if he turned his back. "You'll run into someone!"

Suddenly, Merlin bumped into someone as Murphy's Law would dictate, causing that person to cry out and a loud clang was heard. The young warlock sheepishly turned around to see Gaius rubbing his backside, a plate of food all over the floor.

"Gaius!" Merlin yelled both in surprise and in concern. He quickly helped the old physician to his feet.

"Merlin!" Gaius replied, hugging his ward. Gaius nodded in greeting to the others behind the young warlock.

"Gaius, what were you doing?" Merlin asked with a raised eyebrow. The warlock gestured to the plate and its spilled contents.

"Oh, I was just getting the King something to eat. He hasn't eaten anything all day I'm afraid," Gaius explained, to which Merlin's smile thinned into a concerned frown. The knights and Guinevere exchanged glances. They knew what was going on.

"Is everything alright? Is Arthur sick or something?" the warlock asked softly. Gaius shook his head. "What is it then, is he under an enchantment?" Merlin's mind flooded with different possibilities. OF course, as soon as he returned the King just _had_ to be in trouble! Gaius shook his head again, also understanding the situation more than his young ward.

"Oi, Merlin, I got an idea!" Percival piped, hiding a snicker. "Why don't _you_ bring Arthur the food? I'm sure you could figure out why he's not eating." Merlin nodded- quite seriously- and picked up the plate.

"I'll head to the kitchens to get something for him," the dedicated manservant declared. Gwaine grinned.

"And _I'll_ come with you~" he cheered. Merlin rolled his eyes as he set off with the hungry knight, waving goodbye to the rest of the group. Gwen turned to Gaius, slightly concerned.

"It _isn't_ sickness, is it Gaius?" she inquired. Gaius made a mock frown of concern.

"Oh it is, but I wished not to worry Merlin," Gaius explained. The knights and the blacksmith's daughter became just a bit more serious. Gaius smirked and leaned in. "It is a sickness of the _heart_." All of their eyes widened, relieved that their suspicions had been assured, and then laughed with Gaius. Only their King…

After departing from the kitchens without Gwaine, _(the knight didn't want to leave the cook alone until she gave him food and gods know how long that would take) _Merlin headed straight for Arthur's room.

"Oh- not a moment of rest is in my world- Arthur's in danger _again_ geez is that dollop-head some kind of trouble magnet?!" Merlin grumbled to himself, carrying quite a large tray of fruit and meats. He reached the familiar wooden door and knocked.

"Come," came the muffled reply.

Merlin entered and with one look at state of the room, he instantly understood. D_ollop-head…_

"You can put it on the table, Gaius. I appreciate it, but I'm still not very hungry," Arthur insisted without turning from the window. Merlin smirked and placed the tray on the table.

"The way I see it, Sire, it's a good thing you've nearly starved yourself. You needed a bit of thinning up to do." Arthur visibly stiffened. "Of course as soon as I tell that to the cook, she piles this up with tons of food- honestly I think they're _trying_ to make you fat." The King of Camelot doesn't say a word, unmoving, still as a statue. Merlin walked slowly towards Arthur, minding the mess of clothes and armor all over the floor. "I don't suppose, well with all of the warm greetings, that you missed me, Sire? I mean, who else would keep you in shape?"

Arthur cleared his throat loudly, and Merlin hesitated, only a few feet away.

"Who else, indeed," the King replied, finally turning around and greeting his servant with a warm smile. "It's good to have you back, Merlin." The young warlock grinned.

"It's good to be back, Sire."

"I'm glad you feel that way, _Mer_lin." The manservant hesitated.

"Oh?"

"Yes, in fact, I have prepared a list of things I need you to get on top of right away, as you might have noticed the state of my room, plus my armor and weapons need to be cleaned and taken care of, there is a tournament coming up as you remember from my letters," Arthur explained with a wide, almost leering grin. Merlin let loose his groan of a hundred groans as he took Arthur's list. "You have plenty to do, so you better get going."

"What about that speech you gave? How did it go?" Merlin asked with a twinge of acid. Arthur's grin immediately fell to a blank look of all seriousness.

"If you mention that, or ask _anyone_ of it, I will have you in the stocks, is that clear?"

"That bad, huh?"

"MERLIN!"

"Oh you're right, Sire, your aim _has_ gotten worse!"

Arthur Pendragon would never admit it, but he did in fact miss his old friend. Dearly. And now that he was back home, everything in the world was back to the way it should be.

_**~FIN~**_

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**Hope you guys enjoyed that! Please review and let me know what you think!**

**-DMRA**


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